Nydam Mose

The Nydam Mose, also known as Nydam Bog, is an archaeological site in Denmark located at Øster Sottrup, a town in Sundeved, eight kilometres from Sønderborg [1]. In the Iron Age, the site of the bog was a sacred place, where the weapons and ships of vanquished armies were offered to the indigenous gods in thanks for victory over the fallen enemy [1]. Many items were deliberately destroyed in ritual sacrificial acts [1]. From 1859 to 1863, archaeologist Conrad Engelhardt excavated the bog [1]. Engelhardt found weapons, tools, pieces of clothing and two intact clinker built boats, one made of oak and one made of pine [1]. Under these finds were the remains of a third boat, which apparently had been demolished already during the sacrifice [1]. The oak boat was the first and largest of the three boats that were found in the Nydam bog, and the only one still preserved [1]. It has been dendro dated to 310–320 CE [1].